


「Grey Area」

by pitoumugis



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different Mastermind (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Talentswap (Dangan Ronpa), F/F, F/M, M/M, Ouma not Oma, comes with art if that sweetens the deal...
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 05:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13734558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pitoumugis/pseuds/pitoumugis
Summary: 16 Ultimates find themselves trapped in a school.Ouma Kokichi, a mischievous detective who only takes cases that he finds interesting, wakes up in an empty classroom, alongside Idabashi Kiibo, a young inventor who is just too easy to tease.Things go downhill once they're told to kill each other to escape.





	1. Chapter 1

Kokichi wakes up on a desk.  
  


Not unusual, he's fallen asleep on his desk before.  
  


Kokichi wakes up in an empty classroom.  
  


Unusual.  
  


He lifts his head up quickly, and once his brain kicks into gear, he scans the room carefully. It's a classroom he's never seen before.  
  


_The windows are covered in thick, red barbed wires._ He notes. _If it's to prevent escape, it's a poor attempt. Someone could still slip through. Is it for atmosphere?_ Kokichi guesses, standing up from the desk and walking over.  
  


The windows themselves are frosted, and you can't see outside at all.  
  


_But what kind of a school would want that kind of atmosphere?_ He wonders, before reaching through the wires and attempting to open the window. It doesn’t budge. _Guess that plan is a bust.  
  
_

Kokichi turns away from the windows and eyes the monitor attached to the ceiling. It’s out of place, clearly, but the dirty looking screen isn't showing anything so he can't make any concrete deduction as to why it would be there.  
  


The whiteboard is interesting, as it’s also an LCD screen, he realizes. _Must be a high tech school_ , he thinks. _Or, was.  
  
_

Kokichi looks around the rest of the classroom—it’s fairly normal, if not for the fact it’s in complete shambles. Dusty air, dirty floors, and even _plants_ growing from the cracks in the floor, vines hanging from the ceiling too. It's clearly not been in use for a long time.  
  


Suddenly, the locker at the back of the room makes a loud _bang_ noise, scaring the crap out of Kokichi as he swivels around to face it. It starts swaying and shaking a bit, before the locker swings open, and out stumbles a boy with striking white hair in a long white lab coat.  
  


Kokichi watches as the boy looks around the classroom in confusion, before landing on himself. Kokichi sees the boy tense up immediately, blue eyes going wide with panic.  
  


“E—” The boy clears his throat. “Excuse me...” He begins, his voice weak and nervous. “Um... Where... Where am I? Who are you?” He asks with a little more confidence, pointing at Kokichi.  
  


Kokichi puts a gloved hand on his hip and sighs. “Geez, calm down.” He says. “I'm in the same boat you are, so there's no need to freak out.”  
  


“The same...?” The other boy parrots. “Ah! Then you woke up here too?”  
  


“That's what I _just_ said,” Kokichi throws his hands behind his head. “I woke up here on the desk, then you busted outta the locker and started interrogating me!”  
  


“I-I didn't —” He stutters, looking down. “I apologize... I was... _am_ very confused right now.”  
  


Kokichi hums thoughtfully. “Alright, apology accepted!” He grins. “I'm Ouma Kokichi, the **Ultimate Detective**! Nice t’meet ya!”  
  
  
  


The other boy looks up in surprise. “Y-You're an **ultimate** student too?!”  
  


“Geez, do you ever listen to what people say?” Kokichi rolls his eyes. _Too_ , he notes in his mind. “And you are...?”  
  


“Ah— I apologize, my name is Idabashi Kiibo, and I'm the **Ultimate** **Inventor**!” The boy says proudly, putting his hands on his hips and holding his head high.  
  


“An inventor, huh?” Kokichi mumbles to himself, tucking the information away.  
  


“That's right!” Kiibo beams. “I have worked alongside my father, Professor Idabashi, for as long as I can remember in order to make progress in the world of robotics!”  
  


Kokichi beams at the inventor with sparkling eyes. “So you make _robots_?!”  
  


“Er, well,” Kiibo falters. “Not always... I tend to have a lot of ideas, so I always end up distracted with making them...” He confesses. “However, it is with those inventions that I was able to receive my title as the **Ultimate Inventor**!” He puffs his chest out with pride once again.  
  
  
  


_Two_ **_ultimate_ ** _students, a detective and an inventor..._ Kokichi puts a hand to his chin in thought. _What reason could someone have for kidnapping us? They must want something that requires our talents... But why place us in an empty classroom? Why not tie us up in some basement..._ He glances at the door to the classroom, and begins walking over to it.  
  


_If this (probably) abandoned school is their base of operations, then they could just leave us in an empty classroom as long as the door was locked_ —  
  


The door slides open with ease.  
  


Kokichi raises an eyebrow as Kiibo bounces over curiously. _Either they don't intend to hold us in the classroom, or they’re_ really _bad at this whole kidnapping business.  
  
_

“It would appear that there's nothing else to look at in the classroom.” Kiibo says. “Shall we explore the rest of the building together?”  
  


Kokichi grins slyly at him. “If you wanted to spend more time with me, just say so~”  
  


“I—” Kiibo stutters. “Would it not be safer to explore together?”  
  


“Aw, don't worry Kiiboy,” Kokichi lifts a gloved finger to his lips, still grinning that same sly grin. “I'll protect you, so there's no need to be _scared_ ,”  
  


Kiibo’s cheeks grow pink. “I-I’m not scared!” He denies. “And my name isn't _Kiiboy_ its _Kiibo_!”  
  


Kokichi ignores him, stepping out into the hall. “Onwards, Kiiboy!” He points forwards as he marches down the hall.  
  


“H-Hey! Ouma-kun!” Kiibo follows after him. “Did you not hear me? I said it’s _Kiibo_!”  
  


The detective keeps walking, even as the inventor clammers after him, repeating his name one more time, just to make sure.  
  


* * *

 

The rest of the school, Kokichi notes, is in just as much disarray as the classroom the two woke up in. Clearly no one has been here for a long time.  
  


Downstairs, they found two rooms. First, they went to the right and entered into a library, the smell of old books hitting them instantly.  
  


“This place is quite the mess, isn't it?” A deep, smooth voice said.  
  


The two turned to see a tall boy with long dark hair done up in a neat ponytail. He had a smooth, rather feminine face, and were it not for the clean suit he wore and his deep voice, Kiibo might've mistaken him for a girl.  
  


“I doubt this place has been used for a very long time.” He continues.  
  


“And you are?” Kokichi questions him, shoulders tense.  
  


“Ah, forgive me.” He apologizes. “My name is Shinguji Korekiyo. I'm the **Ultimate Butler**.”  
  
  
  


_Another_ **_ultimate_ ** , Kokichi thinks to himself. “Did you just wake up in this place too?”  
  


“Indeed,” Korekiyo confirms. “It seems there are others in this place as well, but for what reason, I do not know.”  
  


_Interesting. We're not the only ones in this situation._ “How many others?” Kokichi puts a finger to his chin.  
  


“According to the student handbook, there are 16 of us here.”  
  


“Student handbook?” Kiibo asks, looking lost.  
  


Korekiyo raises an eyebrow. “Yes, you both should have one, right? Mine was on my person when I awoke.”  
  


Kokichi immediately pats his pocket, feeling his familiar bubble pipe in one, and something flat and smooth in the other. He takes it out of his pocket, and sees Kiibo do the same. It's a small tablet with a black and white back. Turning it on, his name appears on the screen, along with what he assumes to be this school’s logo. There are a few buttons. A map, a greyed out button labeled ‘truth bullets’, the student roster, the school rules—also greyed out, and settings.  
  


“I didn't even notice I had this,” Kiibo mumbles.  
  


_The map should be useful_. Kokichi thinks, opening the student roster. 16 silhouettes line the top, but only three actually have shape. Himself, Kiibo, and Korekiyo. It lists basic information such as their names, height, weight, etc.  
  


“It provides some rather interesting information, however at the same time, it also raises more questions than answers, does it not?” Korekiyo says. “And, pardon me, but I've yet to get your names.”  
  


“Ouma Kokichi, **Ultimate Detective**.” Kokichi replies, albeit a bit distractedly.  
  


“I'm Idabashi Kiibo, the **Ultimate Inventor**!” Kiibo says.  
  


“It is a pleasure to meet you both,” Korekiyo bows to them. “Please let me know if there's anything I can do to assist you.”  
  


“Even in this situation, you still wish to assist others,” says Kiibo. “That's the **Ultimate Butler** for you.” He finishes, sounding impressed.  
  


“Right, anyway,” Kokichi slides his handbook back into his pocket. “Nice meeting you, but if there really are 16 other **ultimate** students here, I should go meet them.”  
  


“Of course.” Korekiyo nods.  
  


“You mean _we_ should meet them!” Kiibo corrects.  
  


Kokichi turns to him and blinks in surprise, as if he'd just noticed him. “Oh? You're still here?”  
  


“Of course I am!”  
  


“Anywhosies,” Kokichi brushes him off. “See you later, Shinguji-chan!” He says, headed out the door already.  
  


“ _Ouma-kun_!”  
  


Kiibo rushes after him, leaving Korekiyo in the library, chuckling to himself in amusement.  
  


The other room in the basement, Kokichi finds, is a game room. However, by the looks of it, none of the games in the room actually work.  
  


“Is this... A game room?” Kiibo asks upon entering behind Kokichi.  
  


“Seems like it,” someone else replies, a girl in a pale yellow sweater and a red and black uniform. “I don't get why this school would have a game room, but not a music room. It’s... Weird. This whole place is weird.” She says.  
  


“What's weird is that you're talking to us before you've introduced yourself!” Kokichi says, throwing his hands behind his head.  
  


The girl flashes him a glare, but it quickly fades as she fiddles with her bow. “Sorry,” she says, a bit reluctantly by the looks of it. “I'm Harukawa Maki, the **Ultimate Pianist**.”  
  
  
  


The boys introduce themselves in return. Kokichi takes a closer look at the game machines in the room—sure enough, most of them have broken and dirty screens. Doesn't look like they'll work anytime soon.  
  


“Hey, Kiiboy, do you think you could do something with this stuff?” He asks, pointing to one of the machines.  
  


“Eh?” Kiibo turns away from Maki and inspects the machine. “Well, they look incredibly old, so I'm not sure how much of it would still be in working condition, but I might be able to salvage some of it. Why?”  
  


“Just making sure you live up to your title, _nishishi_ ~” Kokichi laughs as Kiibo stutters in defense, but he tucks the information away for safe keeping.  
  


The two say goodbye to Maki and head back upstairs, and make their way down the hall.  
  


Kokichi takes a moment to look at the map on his handbook, while Kiibo had gone silent. _He’s getting more anxious_ , Kokichi realizes, looking at the boy in the corner of his eye. He opens his mouth to say something, when something ahead of them catches his attention.  
  


“Is that the entrance hall?” He says instead, and Kiibo perks up.  
  


Kiibo perks up. “Th-The exit?!” He exclaims, rushing past the detective and over to the gate blocking off the entrance. He puts his hands on the bars, visibly deflating.  
  


Kokichi examines the blocked off area carefully, before turning to Kiibo, who’s looking at the ground with a frown. “... You're not gonna start crying, are you?” Kokichi sighs loudly. “I didn't realize you were so weak-willed, Kiiboy. I'm disappointed. At this rate, we’ll never get out of here...” He sniffs, tears welling up in the corner of his eyes.  
  


Kiibo jerks his head up with a glare. “I am not weak-willed!” He claims. “Do not be so negative! I am sure we'll get out of here somehow, we still have plenty more to explore!” The boy continues, looking a little more sure of himself by the end. “And my name is _Kiibo_!”  
  


“Kiibo, Kiiboy, Kiibaby-boy,” prattles off Kokichi. “Tomato, tomahto.” He shrugs, starting to walk off around the entrance hall.  
  


Kiibo runs after him. “It's not the same thing!”  
  


Kokichi suddenly turns to him with big, tearful eyes. “A-Are you really g-gonna reject the nickname I gave you out of love and affection?” He stutters, before giving out a loud wail. “ _WAAAAAAAH YOU'RE SO MEEEAAAANN!_ ”  
  


Kiibo flinches and looks shocked for several seconds. “Y-You—” he blinks.  
  


And then like flipping a switch, Kokichi stops crying. “Well, that was a lie, anyways.”  
  


Kiibo stares. “W-What?!” He exclaims. “Why on Earth would you lie like that?”  
  


“Umm, because it’s fun?” Kokichi states like it's obvious. “Why are you such a buzzkill?”  
  


“I am not a buzzkill!” Kiibo denies defensively as the two turn a corner, Kokichi laughing in reply.  
  


Then Kokichi suddenly stops in his tracks, causing Kiibo to nearly run into him. Just ahead of them, stand two more people.  
  


“I thought I heard voices,” Says the blonde girl with spades in her hair. “Did you two wake up here too?”  
  


“W-We did...” Kiibo hesitantly answers first. “Were you two kidnapped too?”  
  


“I-I guess so,” The girl stutters. “There's a few others around too, but nobody remembers how we got here.”  
  


“Nobody remembers anything?” Kokichi repeats. _That's strange._ “How many people have you asked?”  
  


“Ummm...” The girl trails off in thought.  
  


“Seven... or so, so far.” The boy in the hood beside her answers for her, his voice quiet.  
  


“And you're both **ultimates** too?” Kokichi asks, tilting his head with a finger to his cheek.  
  


“Yeah! How'd you know?” The girl perks up.  
  


The detective grins. “You told me,” he answers snarkily.  
  


She blinks in surprise then sighs and rolls her eyes. “Anyways, I'm Akamatsu Kaede, and I'm the **Ultimate Magician**! Nice to meet you!”  
  
  
  


Kokichi turns to the boy expectantly, and he jolts into action. “I-I’m Saihara Shuichi, and, uh, I'm the **Ultimate Astronaut** , I guess...”  
  
  
  


It makes sense, Kokichi thinks, looking at the space pattern on the inside of his hood.  
  


Kaede clicks her tongue. “Not ‘I guess’, you _are_ the **Ultimate Astronaut**!” She corrects.  
  


“I'm... still a trainee, though...” Shuichi mumbles.  
  


Kaede sighs, and turns back to Kokichi and Kiibo. “And you two are..?” She prompts.  
  


“I'm Idabashi Kiibo, the **Ultimate Inventor** !” Kiibo introduces himself proudly. “And this is Ouma Kokichi-kun, he’s the **Ultimate Detective**!”  
  


Kokichi rolls his eyes. “I can introduce myself just fine, Kiiboy.”  
  


“Ah, sorry,” Kiibo apologizes sheepishly.  
  


Kaede looks starstruck. “Wow! A detective and an inventor! That's incredible!” She gushes. “Ah! that's how you were able to guess we were **ultimate** students, right?” Kaede laughs. “Geez, you all have such incredible talents!”  
  


Shuichi and Kiibo both look a little flustered by her compliments, the former pulling his hood down to hide his flushed face. Kokichi remains unaffected.  
  


“Well, anyway,” Kokichi moves on. “I'm going to keep looking around.”  
  


“Oh, right! Gotta investigate, right?” Kaede smiles. “There's two people in the dining hall around the corner, and someone else is on the second floor! Good luck!” She gives them a wave, then walks past them, Shuichi following close behind.  
  


“C’mon, Kiiboy, let's go introduce ourselves!” Kokichi says with an upbeat attitude, walking to the dining hall. “We'll go into the Dining hall, then go upstairs, okay?”  
  


“Understood,” Kiibo nods affirmatively as they enter the dining hall.  
  


Inside, they find two girls. The shorter one, with red hair and a colourfully stained jean apron, sits at the table looking exhausted. The other is a bubbly girl with white hair.  
  


She stops mid-sentence upon seeing the two enter the dining hall. She jumps up from her spot and bounces over.  
  


“Hello, hello!” She greets. “Angie is happy to see you two are safe as well! Angie is Yonaga Angie, the **Ultimate Anthropologist**!”  
  
  
  


“Nice to meet you, Yonaga-san!” Kiibo returns her greeting.  
  


“No, no,” Angie tuts. “Please call Angie, Angie!”  
  


“Ah, yes, Angie-san.” Kiibo nods, and turns to the other girl in the dining hall. “And you would be...?”  
  


“Yumeno Himiko... I'm the **Ultimate Artist**..” She mumbles tiredly.  
  
  
  


“Sculpting or painting?” Kiibo asks.  
  


“Nyehh... I do it all. Because I'm _that_ amazing...” She praises herself with a small, smug smile.  
  


“It's true, it’s true!” Angie jumps in. “I've seen her work before—it’s simply _divine_ ! _Nyahahaha_!”  
  


“Divine..?” Kiibo raises an eyebrow.  
  


Angie puts her hands together and smile. “Yes, yes, its as if she’s been blessed by a God as she works!” She puts a finger to her lip. “There are several deities associated with the arts, though, so I wonder which one?”  
  


“It’s not the work of a God...” Says Himiko with a pout. “It’s all _my_ power..”  
  


Kiibo looks a little put off. “I see,” is all he says, before he and Kokichi introduce themselves again.  
  


They say goodbye to Angie and Himiko and leave the dining hall.  
  


“Hey Kiiboy, I know I said we should go upstairs next, but I change my mind,” Kokichi says suddenly. “I wanna explore the warehouse instead!”  
  


“Are you really the **Ultimate Detective**?” Kiibo asks hesitantly as Kokichi bounces off to the warehouse. “You act more like a carefree, frolicking child...”  
  


“Haha, how mean!” Kokichi laughs. “Of course I'm the **Ultimate Detective**!” He says as he hops into the warehouse, Kiibo following.  
  


Inside, there's a girl made out of metal, diligently exploring the warehouse with an elegance that a machine normally could not achieve.  
  


Kiibo’s eyes light up at the sight of the girl and he gasps, immediately rushing over to her.  
  


“E-Excuse me!” He calls out as he approaches, catching her attention. Kokichi follows behind him curiously.  
  


“Ah, hello there,” She begins with a pretty voice. “I am K1RU-M1,” She introduces. “But please, call me Kirumi. I am the **Ultimate Robot**.”  
  
  
  


_A robot?_ Kokichi raises an eyebrow.  
  


“A-Amazing!” Kiibo gushes. “What fluid, elegant movement! And such a smooth voice!” He compliments, and Kirumi smiles in reply—her cheeks glowing just a bit pink.  
  


“Wow, Kiiboy, don't geek out so much!” Kokichi teases. “You're such a nerd,”  
  


“Ah!” Kiibo blinks, and his cheeks go pink. “I-I apologize!”  
  


“There is no need to apologize,” Kirumi assures. “I appreciate the compliments.”  
  


And just like that, Kiibo looks starstruck again. “I-It’s a pleasure to meet you! I'm Idabashi Kiibo, the **Ultimate Inventor**!”  
  


A light sparks in Kirumi’s eyes, suddenly understanding his excitement. “I see. A pleasure to meet you as well.” She smiles.  
  


“Heyy!” Kokichi pouts. “Don't just forget about me! Geez, are all robots so insensitive?”  
  


“My apologies,” Kirumi bows slightly to him.  
  


“Ouma-kun! Don’t be so rude!” Kiibo scolds him, making the detective whine in reply.  
  


Kirumi smiles softly. “I do not mind, although I appreciate it, Idabashi-kun.” She says.  
  


Kiibo’s cheeks grow a bit pink. “Ah, alright,”  
  


“ _Anyway_ ,” Kokichi cuts in. “I'm Ouma Kokichi, the **Ultimate Detective** , and don't you forget it!”  
  


Kirumi nods. “Of course.”  
  


Kiibo spends the next minute or two gushing over the robot and asking all sorts of questions, which she gladly answers, looking almost amused. Kokichi has to almost physically drag him away.  
  
  
They say goodbye to Kirumi, and exit the warehouse to continue their exploration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my first time writing these characters so I hope no one is out of character but also at the same time bc they have different backstories they'll act differently so. hm. a difficult balance. feedback and constructive criticism is very appreciated please i need it to live
> 
> this was going to be a lot longer and include everyones introductions in one chapter but i havent finished the other sprite edits yet and im impatient and wanna post this right away lol. also better i cut it in half so you dont expect such long chapters from me;;
> 
> anyway. on the topic of the sprite edits kiibo fucking killed me he was so hard to do... his eyes never looked right.. eventually my sister suggested hajime's eyes and they w o r k e d. hajime hinata single handedly saved kiibo's live thank u sm.... maki didnt change much bc her outfit was pretty simple to begin with, and i fixed shuichi's uncomfortable face lmao...
> 
> also uhhh the intro cards actually cut off a bit of their outfits at the bottom so i'll post all of them on my tumblr in the future perhaps at some point lol... i worked hard on them damnit i will not let a single pixel go to waste!!
> 
> also fun fact: kokichi's pin is an actual detachable working magnifying glass.
> 
> ok thank u for reading <3


	2. Chapter 2

Upstairs, Kokichi had crossed passed with a girl with long, braided blue hair and big round glasses crouched on the ground, eyes squinted and hands wandering along the floor as if she looking for something really small.

  
“Heyyyyyy,” The detective drawls, approaching her with a skip in his step. “What're you doing on the floor?” Kokichi asks, tilting his head.

  
The girl doesn't reply, eyes continuing to stay fixed on the floor.

  
Kokichi hums, crossing his arms. “Hellooooo?” He moves a hand in front of her face to snap his gloved fingers.

  
Silence is the only answer he receives, as if she hadn’t even noticed anyone else was with her at the moment.

  
“How rude! Don't ignore me when I'm talking to you!” The detective prods, letting out a dramatic huff as he crouches down next to her, observing her closely. “Nishishi, unless she’s a _statue_?”

  
“Don’t be silly… perhaps we should leave her be if she doesn't want to talk..?” Kiibo suggests sheepishly, pressing his palms together.

  
“Nu-uh! No way!” Kokichi pouts at Kiibo before turning back to the stranger and begins to poke her rapidly. Despite handling it well, she squeals when he pokes her side and giggles, squirming away from the boy. 

  
“Okay, okay--” She catches her breath, adjusting her glasses. “I'll talk, I'm sorry!” She gasps out as Kokichi finally lets up, a smirk tugging at the sides of his lips. 

  
“Took you long enough!” Kokichi rises to his feet with the girl. “It's rude to ignore people!”

  
The stranger puts a hand on her cheek. “Isn't it rude to force someone to talk when they don't want to?” She retaliates, small smile gracing her lips. “Well, whatever, it's fine now. I'm Shirogane Tsumugi, the **Ultimate Entomologist**.”  
  


  
“An entomologist, huh?” Kiibo repeats curiously, tapping a finger on his chin. “Ah, I'm Idabashi Kiibo, the **Ultimate Inventor** , and this is Ouma Kokichi-kun, the **Ultimate Detective**.” 

  
The detective steps back dramatically. “You research those gross, nasty bugs?” Kokichi’s face scrunches up in disgust, sticking his tongue out. 

  
“H-Hey! Bugs aren't _all_ gross and nasty!” Tsumugi says defensively, pointing at the detective.

  
Kokichi tilts his head, a smile stretching his lips. “But you admit that some _are_?”

  
Tsumugi gasps, a bead of sweat rolling down her face, and covers her mouth with her hand. “ _No_! A-All bugs are amazing and intricate in every way!” She stutters. “Not a single one left behind, that’s what I say!”

  
Kiibo speaks up before Kokichi and rile her up even more. “Um, excuse me, Shirogane-san, but may I ask what you were on the floor for?”

  
“I’m guessing… looking for nasty bugs?” Kokichi cuts in with a taunt.

  
Tsumugi huffs. “I was, actually.” She says sharply. “But for some reason, I can't find any...”  


“You can't find any? In a place like this?” Kokichi blinks, referring to all the overgrown fauna in the cracks of the floors, spilling out of ceilings and windows.  


Tsumugi sighs quietly, looking down pensively. “Yeah, I've looked all over the place but there aren't any bugs at all—not even ants...” she sighs, looking positively gloomy.  
 

“Not even ants?” Kiibo repeats, eyebrows furrowed. “I can understand a lack of animals, but no bugs?” he mumbles.  
 

Kokichi hums, storing the information away, then puts on a cheeky grin. “Well I, for one, am _more_ than happy to hear there aren't any gross bugs around!”  
 

Tsumugi puffs her cheeks out. “Good for you!” She huffs.  


Kiibo's eyes flickers between them, then he grabs Kokichi's arm. “We should keep exploring. Thank you, Shirogane-san, we’ll see you around.” He bows to her quickly, before dragging Kokichi away down the hall.  


Kokichi flails about. “Hey, Kiiboy! No fair!” He whines. “Lemme go!”  


“Sorry, Ouma-kun, but let's go already.”

 

* * *

  
 

Neither of the two had spotted anyone else hanging around upstairs aside from Tsumugi, so Kiibo elected to just drag Kokichi back downstairs and take a look around.  
  


He was shocked to find that the gate blocking off the entrance hall had been lifted.  
 

Kiibo runs ahead towards the entrance hall. “Ouma-kun, please look at that!”  
 

“Slow down Kiiboy! You juuuust might trip!” Kokichi calls out teasingly.  
  


Kiibo does, in fact, trip over his own two feet as he stumbles into the entrance hall, nearly hitting the ground if he didn’t immediately throw a foot out to catch himself.  
 

Kokichi’s snickers echo into the hall as he follows Kiibo, the Inventor’s cheeks flushing red with embarrassment.  
  


“Damn, watch yourself, Pops!” A voice calls out suddenly. “We don't need some cliche gag of you trippin’ face first into my boobs!” The two turn to see a girl with long blonde hair giving Kiibo a hot glare.  
 

“E-excuse me? What did you call me?” Kiibo asks, confused.  
 

“ _Pops_ , y'know, cause you look like OO-808 from Flip Flappers!” She says like it's obvious. “Y'know, Pops from episode 8!”  
 

“I...” Kiibo is at a loss for words for a moment. “I-I’m afraid you've lost me.” He finally says.  
 

The girl rolls her eyes. “Of course you fuckin’ _normies_ wouldn't know— not that I'd really expect you to. It was a pretty underappreciated anime, never got as popular as it should have.” She says, twirling a strand of her hair idly.  
 

“Maybe I should cosplay something from it—that’d get their attention for _sure_ ! No one can tear their eyes away from _this_ hot bod!” She cackles loudly, puffing her chest out with pride.  
 

Kokichi pointedly looks away with a bored expression and goes: “Right, _anyway_ , let's get going, Kiiboy.”  
 

The girl squeaks. “H-Hey, where the fuck do you think you're going!?”  
 

“Literally anywhere where you aren't.” Kokichi replies dully, acting distracted.  
 

“ _Ouma-kun_!” Kiibo whispers harshly.  
 

The girl recoils. “Wh-what? I was only b-bein’ honest!” She defends weakly. “After all, when you've got a body _this_ smoking hot, obviously you'd wanna show it off! _Kya-haha_!” She quickly regains her confidence.  
 

“U-Um, sorry, but I haven't gotten your name yet.” Kiibo says.  
 

“Seriously? You _seriously_ don't know who I am?” She scowls. “You been livin’ under a rock or something? I'm the gorgeous **Ultimate Cosplayer** with the _smoking_ hot, glamorous body, Iruma Miu!”  
  
  
 

“Great! Never heard of you!” Kokichi smiles, immediately turning away. “Let's go Kiiboy! The exit is right there!” He grabs Kiibo by the back of his lab coat and tries to pull him towards the door.  
 

“Ah, that's right!” Kiibo whirls around and runs over to the door.  
 

Miu rolls her eyes as they go. “Don't get your hopes up, crotchrot!” She calls out.  
 

The inventor stops just before opening it, hesitating momentarily as Kokichi walked up beside him. Kiibo stares at the door with his hands hovering over it, before nodding to himself and flinging them open.  
 

Upon stepping outside they were immediately greeted by cool air, the warm sun hitting their skin, and...  
 

An enormous, clear dome that seemed to cover the entire school.  
 

Kokichi's eyes went wide as he stared up at the cage— this was far more than anything he was expecting.  
 

“Wha—” Kiibo choked out in wide eyed surprise. “Is— is that a wall? C-Cage?”  
 

Kokichi opens his mouth, closes it, then lets out a bark of laughter. “Wow! They really went all out with this whole thing!” The detective appraises, placing his hands on his hips as he looked up at the dome.  
 

Kiibo turns to him with big watery eyes, panic written all over his face. “How can you be so calm, Ouma-kun?!”  
 

 _I’m not.  
_  

“Hm? But what good does panicking do?” Kokichi tilts his head. “There's a cage over the school. That's a fact. It's a waste of time to panic about it.” He explains with a roll of his eyes, idly playing with the chain of his magnifying glass pin.  
 

“I—” Kiibo blinks, blue eyes flickering all over the place, gone into a cold sweat. “Y-Yes, I suppose that's... That's right. P-Panicking won't solve this situation. It’s... Yes, I'm sure there's a way out!”  
  


Kiibo nods to himself, despite the unsure expression he still holds on his face.  “Let's continue, Ouma-kun, there's still much to explore!” He says, setting off down the courtyard.  
 

Kokichi sends another glance to the cage above them, then follows.  
 

Down the path, in front of the dormitory, is a girl in a dark blue uniform, with two long, loosely braided ponytails. She's also staring up at the cage, almost expressionlessly were it not for the slight furrow of her brows which give away her underlying anxiety.  
 

Kiibo approaches first, while Kokichi lags behind to recollect his thoughts.  
 

“Hello! I’m--”  
 

Kiibo barely gets the words out of his mouth before she turns a fierce glare on him.  
 

“Tenko doesn’t have _anything_ to say to any degenerate males!” She declares, turning her nose up towards them.  
 

“D-degenerare males?” Kiibo stutters, taking a step back in fear. “I'm... sorry?”  
 

She scoffs. “Typical degenerate, thinking you can solve everything with just an apology!”  
 

“I—” Kiibo's eyes flicker around, before landing on the unusually quiet Kokichi, trying to telepathically call for help.  
 

Kokichi rolls his eyes and steps up. “Wow, how _mean_! W-We just w-wanted to know your name..!” He sniffs, eyes filling up with fake tears.  
 

The girl scowls. “Chabashira Tenko.” She states, then looks away, finally breaking eye contact. “ **Ultimate Child Caregiver**.”  
  
  
 

 _Something’s off_. Kokichi immediately notices, his eyes narrowing as he eyes the taller girl.  
 

“Really?” He says instead of blatantly calling her out, putting his arms behind his head. “You don't seem the type! In fact, you look more like you’d throw a kid across the room!”  
 

Tenko’s fierce glare returns as she sharply looks back at them. “Tenko is _more_ than capable of taking care of children! She had many siblings to look after outside this place!” She claims. “And Tenko introduced herself, so you should too— if you even know any manners.”  
 

Kiibo straightens up. “Y-Yes! I'm Idabashi Kiibo, **Ultimate Inventor**!”  
 

Kokichi puts a hand on his hip as pulls out his bubble pipe and rests it against his lip idly, staring her down. Tenko fidgets under his gaze, but doesn't look away.  
 

“Ouma Kokichi, the **Ultimate Detective**.”  
 

Tenko tenses up, just a little bit.  
 

“Such an incompetent male having the role of detective... Get out of Tenko’s sight already!”  
 

Tenko shoos them away, so the two decide check out the dormitory nearby instead, pushing the glass doors open.  
 

The dormitory is round, with eight rooms on the right side for the boys, and eight on the left for the girls. Four on the bottom floor, four on the second.  
 

On the staircase to the second floor of the boy's side sits a very short boy wearing a black martial arts uwagi over a blue and black striped uniform, and beside him is a rather… _pretty_ boy with green hair.  
 

The pretty boy perks up when they enter, and waves them over with a smile.  
 

“Hey, nice to see you're okay too! The names Amami Rantaro, the **Ultimate Tennis Pro**.” He introduces.  
  
  
 

He then nudges the short boy beside him. The short boy sighs, glancing at Rantaro, annoyed.  
 

“Didn't I tell you not to bother with me?” He grumbles to him in a surprisingly deep voice. “The man once known as Hoshi Ryoma, **Ultimate Aikido Master** no longer exists. I'm nothing more than his empty shell.”  
  
  
 

Kokichi recognizes the name immediately, and he perks up with interest. He's heard of Hoshi Ryoma before, the man who used his Aikido skills to murder an entire mafia.  
 

Kiibo is blissfully unaware. “An aikido master? Even though you're so small?” He asks innocently, unaware of how rude the question really is.  
 

Rantaro chuckles softly, and Ryoma scowls, crossing his arms and shaking his head.  
 

“Believe me, kid, I could wipe the floor with you if I wanted to.” Ryoma warns him with a low voice, throwing a piercing glare the inventor’s way.  
 

Kiibo nods nervously, a smile forced onto his face. “Er, right, I apologize. I'm Idabashi Kiibo, the **Ultimate Inventor**.”  
 

“And _I'm_ Ouma Kokichi, **Ultimate Detective**!” Kokichi declares proudly.  
 

“ **Ultimate Detective** , huh?” Ryoma echoes. “You already know who I am then, don't you?”  
 

“Yep! I know all about how you used your martial arts skills to slaughter an entire mafia!” Kokichi says with childish glee, even as his insides churn at the thought.  
 

Kiibo goes wide eyed, glancing at Kokichi, and then at Ryoma with horror. “W-What?!”  
 

“Hey, Ouma-kun,” Rantaro gives him a disapproving look, which he ignores.  
 

Ryoma huffs a humorless laugh. “So you do know.” He says. “It's better if you don't carelessly get involved with a murderer like me.” Ryoma warned.  
 

“ _Hoshi-kun_ ,” Rantaro turns to him with a frown.  
 

“Don't be like this guy, who still won't leave me alone.” Ryoma jerks a thumb at Rantaro.  
 

Rantaro rolls his eyes. “Don't mind him, he’s a bit of a downer. He's not a bad guy, though, I promise.” He remarks fondly.  
 

Ryoma only pulls his hat over his eyes slightly.  
 

“Er, right,” Kiibo nods. “I suppose we'll... see you around then.”  
 

“See ya,” Rantaro waves as they exit, Ryoma giving them a nod goodbye.  
 

Exiting the dorms, they see that Tenko had left the courtyard— Kiibo breathing a sigh of relief once he notices she's gone— and the two continue the path, heading down the stairs to another open area.  
 

There's only a large building with a red door, and a blocked off path in this area, but there was another student hanging around.  
 

A tall, strong looking man with long, wild green hair done up in a ponytail. Intense red eyes stare up at the sky through thin glasses.  
 

Kiibo gulps nervously, before Kokichi takes charge. “Hi theeeere! You looking for the mafia or something, because I know a guy who killed all your buddies!” He calls out playfully to the man, waving happily.  
 

“ _O-Ouma-kun--!_ ” Kiibo says through gritted teeth, exasperated.  
 

The man seems to jolt out of his thoughts and turns to Kokichi with a surprised expression overtaking his intense glare from before. A bright, friendly smile appears on his face, replacing the scowl.  
 

“Ah, thank you!” He says cheerfully.  
 

The detective eyes him curiously. “Huh? For what?” Kokichi tilts his head.  
 

“For talking to Gonta!” The man, Gonta, exclaims. “Not many people come up to Gonta since he’s so big and scary looking, so, like a gentleman, Gonta thanks you!”  
 

 _Appearances sure are deceiving_ , Kokichi thinks, as Kiibo speaks up. “I-I see! I apologize for judging you based on your appearance!” The inventor says, bowing at the waist.  
 

“No, it’s okay, Gonta is used to it.” He says, smiling sadly.  
 

“So, the name is Gonta, right?” Kokichi asks, walking forward a couple steps to eye the man up and down, a wide smile on his face. “I’m Ouma Kokichi, the **Ultimate Detective** .”  
  
  
Kiibo perks up quickly. “Ah, and I’m Idabashi Kiibo, the **Ultimate Inventor**!”  
 

“Oh, right! Yes, Gonta’s name is Gokuhara Gonta!” Gonta beams at them. “But, well… Gonta, unfortunately, can’t remember what his talent is… but don’t worry, Gonta is a gentleman! It is nice to meet you!”  
  
  
 

“Oh? You don’t remember your own talent?” Kokichi asks curiously, tilting his head..  
 

Gonta suddenly frowns and looks down with his arms crossed. “Mm… yes, that’s right,” he says. “No matter how hard Gonta tries, he can't remember his talent. Every time Gonta tries to remember, his head feels funny. It's like the memory just fell out of his head.” He confesses, a little sigh escaping.  
 

Kokichi furrows his brows in thought as Gonta explains. _Is that something you can just forget so easily?_ He wonders. _But he doesn't seem like he's lying...  
_  

“You can't remember your own talent?!”  Kiibo exclaims in shock.  
 

Gonta nods. “Yeah. Gonta knows he has one, but just doesn't know what his talent _is_.”  
 

He says sadly, then perks up after a moment.  “Ah, but, Ouma-kun is the **Ultimate Detective** , right? Maybe he can figure out Gonta’s talent?”  
 

Kokichi hums and rocks on his heels. “I _dunno_ , it doesn't _sound_ like a fun case...”  
 

“Ouma-kun...” Kiibo frowns. “That’s kind of rude, why wouldn’t you take it…?  
 

“Well, _duh_!” Kokichi grins. “It’s because it doesn’t seem interesting! What's fun about solving mysteries if the mystery is boring?!”  
 

“What about _helping_ people?” Kiibo crosses his arms, and Kokichi rolls his eyes.  
 

“It is okay, Idabashi-kun, Gonta understands if Ouma-kun does not want to take his case.” Gonta says, looking a bit put down about the rejection, but overall accepting of Kokichi’s reasons.  
 

“I never said I _wouldn't_ take your case,” Kokichi points out. “I'll _definitely_ look into your talent, Gonta! And that's not a lie!”  
 

“Really?!” Gonta perks up. “You will? Thank you so much, Ouma-kun!” The tall boy looks elated, a happy smile on his face.  
 

“Of course!” Kokichi confirms happily.  
 

Gonta smiles wide. “Thank you so much!” He says. “Gonta doesn't know much, but he knows he must protect his friends, so please just ask Gonta if you need help!”  
 

Kiibo leans over to Kokichi’s ear. “ _This isn’t a_ lie, _is it?_ ” He whispers.  
 

“Of _course_ not, Kiiboy! Who do you take me for?” Kokichi replies, but Kiibo only fixes the detective with an unconvinced look. “Anyways, we’ll catch you later, Gonta!”  
 

“Bye, Idabashi-kun, Ouma-kun!” Gonta waves as they leave.  
 

They approach the building with the red door, and Kokichi leads them in. Inside is a large room with a glass roof letting in natural light, the room itself surrounded with different kinds of plants.  
 

 _Some kind of garden or greenhouse?_ Kokichi wonders as his eyes wander the area.  
 

In the center of the room, is a large fountain. Sitting on the edge of the fountain is a boy, one leg crossed over the other as he holds a small black book in his hand. His other hand holds a mechanical pencil, which he’s holding up to his chin as he appears to be in deep thought.  
 

His purple hair is spiked up in a way that reminds Kokichi of some shounen protagonist, and its _ridiculous_ , he thinks. He's also wearing his jacket thrown over his shoulders like a cape, which is _also_ stupid.  
 

He looks up from the book with bright magenta eyes and spots the two of them at the door. He snaps the book shut and shoves it into his jacket before flashing them a grin and waving.  
 

“Hey there!” He greets as Kokichi and Kiibo walk closer. “The name’s Momota Kaito, **Ultimate Supreme Leader** , nice t’meet ya!”  
  
  
 

Kokichi raises an eyebrow as the boy, Kaito, declares his talent proudly.  
 

“Ouma Kokichi, the **Ultimate Detective** , “ He says, holding his chin high. “And this is Kiiboy, the **Ultimate Inventor** or whatever.”  
 

“Idabashi _Kiibo_ ,” Kiibo corrects. “And don't introduce me so offhandedly!”  
 

Kaito laughs at the interaction. “But, damn, a detective and an inventor, huh?” Kaito’s eyebrows go up. “Those’re some impressive talents!”  
 

“Ah, thank you,” Kiibo laughs sheepishly at the praise. “But, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of talent is **Ultimate Supreme Leader**?”  
 

“Well, _obviously_ he's the supreme leader of an evil secret organization, one with over 10,000 members, duh!” Kokichi answers for him, an expression of childlike excitement on his face.  
 

Kaito snorts, grinning at Kokichi. “You’ve got a real imagination, Ouma.”  
 

“Woah, _now_ you're dodging the question,” Kokichi’s eyes go wide. “Was I right? You _villain_.”  
 

Kiibo crosses his arms and looks at Kokichi incredulously. “There's no way that could be right!”  
 

Kaito shifts and uncrosses his leg, leaning forward. “Well, if you really wanna know, you'll have to figure it out yourself.” He says. “You're a detective, ain't ya?”  
 

“Not just _a_ detective, I'm _Ouma Kokichi_ , the **_Ultimate_** **Detective**!”  
 

“Yeah? Well, what have you found out about this place so far, Mr. Detective?” Kaito leans his chin on his hand and watches Kokichi carefully with those bright magenta eyes of his.  
 

And as Kaito waits for a response, Kokichi watches him too. He asked teasingly, but a glint in his eye shows genuine curiosity. He seems to read like an open book, but that's not quite right. For all his friendliness, there's something guarded in there.  
 

“Oh, you know. This and that.” Kokichi answers vaguely. “What have _you_ found, Mr. Supreme Leader?” He returns the question.  
 

A quirk of the lips, Kaito smirks. “Oh, you know,” he quotes. “This and that.”  
 

A chime blares from the monitor attached to the wall, ringing throughout the room and interrupting their conversation.  
 

“ _Ahem, testing one, two, three,_ ” echoes a voice from the monitor. “ _Attention all students! Thank you for your patience—please make your way to the gym for the opening ceremony now!_ ”  
 

The voice laughs a strange ‘ _upupu_ ’ and cuts out, leaving the three of them in silence. Kaito is the first to move after a moment, standing to his full height over Kokichi and Kiibo.  
 

“Let's go then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO??? gee whiz sorry this took so long to get out. Most of the chapter was already done, I just needed to finish all the sprites, but then I got like mega sick sjdkfhjdsbdf
> 
> I pushed my way thru hoshi but i had to take a break before starting on gonta and momota.... originally momota was supposed to have an undershirt but uhhhh titties am I right guys????????
> 
> anyway thanks lars for saving my life and being my beta for this chapter I will die for u
> 
> alsooo!!! sprites!! the full half-body sprites can be found here ( http://pitoumugis.tumblr.com/private/171957659845/tumblr_p5q7ujd2ZF1vvvgkf ) for your viewing pleasure!! just dont use them without permission/steal them/repost them or I will find you and I will kill you
> 
> ALSO! Thank you everyone for all your nice comments on the last chapter by the way!!!! I wanna reply to all of them but I feel like I've left them too long to reply AUFHDJSBHF... I wanna try to reply to all of them from now on!!!!!!!!!! Thank you very much everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> edit: the fucking link to the sprites was supposed to be all nice and clean just click the 'here' and away u go but im stupid and cant figure out how to make links work in the notes and im too tired to use my brain rn sdjkbfhjesbjfdbhjbse anywho enjoy


	3. Chapter 3

As their momentary adventure from the fountain to the gym meets its end, the group of three enter through the double doors to find a gymnasium with an exceptionally large stage.  
  


And it looked like they had been to the last arrive _,_ Kokichi notes the second they step inside to find everyone he and Kiibo had previously introduced themselves too, all scattered in a large group with fixed faces of underlying worry and caution.  
  


“And that makes sixteen,” Korekiyo remarks after the three boys arrive with a flick of his index finger, scanning the room. “I believe that would make all of us, I assume. Likely, I harbor doubt there could be anyone we missed.”  
  


Tsumugi shifts uncomfortably after the long silence that follows afterwards, subconsciously moving behind Gonta. “Well… is anyone going to tell us what’s going on?” She asks, brows knitted with anxiety. “I-I just want to know who brought us here…”  
  


The blonde cosplayer huffs, crossing her arms and pouting. “I-I just can’t _stand_ teasing… if they keep me high n’ dry this long, I dunno h-how long I can last…!” She lets out a shuddery sigh, face glowing a slight pink.  
  
  
Kaede coughs a bit at that, before stepping forward with a smile. “Don't worry, everyone! I'm sure whoever called us down here is going to explain what's going on! I’m sure it’s nothing...” The magician trails off.  
  


Maki shoots a glare at her. “What if it’s something _bad_ , though?” She questions with a quiet tone. “What will you say then, Akamatsu?”  
  


Kokichi watches as Kaede falters, just for a moment, at the pianist’s cautionary words, before attempting to shake it off, shaking her head.. “Then… then we’ll think of something! We have sixteen Ultimate students here, after all!”  
 

“You're sure optimistic,” Ryoma says from beside Rantaro, pulling his hat down with a small, amused smile, Kaede nodding back.  
 

She lets out a small sigh. “We can do something about this… we all have our own little gifts that could come in handy, nonetheless. Don’t get yourself down just yet…!”  
 

A collective murmur of agreement, and a few sighs thrown in, confirm how badly people still doubt her. The blonde simply twiddles her thumbs, quieting down to speak softly with the astronaut beside her.  
 

Kokichi turns to glance at Kiibo. He stands straight with an forced, headstrong expression, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead as he makes a feeble attempt to seem confident. He's nervous too, of course. He only offers Kirumi a forced smile when she arrives at his side to reassure him.

  
And of course, all the others seem to either be standing around, appear tempted to explore the gym, or speaking with other students. The caregiver appears to be trying to converse with the artist they’d met earlier, but it seemed fruitless, since all she did was fall asleep while standing as the former appears to be verbally stumbling.  
  


Kokichi throws a curious glance Kaito’s way.  
 

The expression on his face is serious. While he wouldn’t call it composed, he seemed to have his anxiety under wraps, serious, quiet, and thoughtful. The gears turn in his head as he scans the crowd of students, before landing on Kokichi, meeting his gaze head on.  
 

He blinks, and for a moment he doesn't move, before he smirks and ruffles Kokichi’s hair. Kokichi scowls, a huff escaping his lips as he pushes his hand off, quickly smoothing out his hair as Kaito chuckles beside him.  
 

Kokichi wonders for a moment, if Kaito even takes him seriously.  
 

Yet, the thought is interrupted as the lights shut down, leaving them awash in a pitch black mystery that tore a shocked yell out of several of them, from what he could tell, including Kiibo; in which he’ll throw a good teasing at him for later.  
 

Luckily, Kokichi didn't miss the startled “ _Fuck_ ” that came from Kaito either, and he snorted in response. Glancing in the general direction of the noise with an amused grin.  
 

“ _Piss off_ ,” came Kaito's irritated whisper.  
 

Despite it feeling a lot longer than it was, the lights for the stage flicked on just as quick as they shut off, illuminating the center. Each of the students watch the podium with bated breath, anxious for answers— Kokichi himself torn between his curiosity and the heavy feeling of dread weighing down on him.  
 

Out of nowhere, something black and white flies up from behind the podium, and as it lands it becomes clear—a bear? The wings on it's back fall off cartoonishly as it settles. A few confused whispers scatter throughout the gym.  
 

It had… appeared to be a round stuffed animal, likely a bear.  
 

Beside him, Kiibo mumbles confusedly. “A stuffed bear?” He tilts his head.  
 

“ _I_ ,” a high pitched voice comes from the bear, effectively stunning everyone into silence as it began speaking. “Am the God of the new world!” It declares.  
 

Under her breath, Miu scoffs, glancing around nervously. “S-Seriously?”  
 

“It-” Kaede sputters, brows raised. “It can talk?”  
 

“Likely, it could be a simple prank thrown by someone, but in any case…” She looks down. “It could have an autonomous A.I. like myself.” Kirumi says, putting a hand to her chin thoughtfully.  
 

“Yes, that would be... The logical conclusion..” Kiibo agrees, hesitating ever so slightly in his surprise and confusion.  
  


“Don't talk about me like I'm not here! Don't you know that's _rude_ ?” The bear shouts angrily, lifting a round paw up in mock anger. “I am _Monokuma_ , headmaster of the _Ultimate Academy For Gifted Juveniles_ , where you find yourself now!”  
 

_Ultimate Academy For_ — Kokichi’s eyebrows furrow as he processes the sentence. _Really now?_   
  
  
Ryoma squints at Monokuma. “Headmaster?” He repeats dubiously, eyeing the bear up and down.  
 

“That’s right!” Monokuma nods.  
 

“ _You're_ the headmaster here?” Tenko glares, standing in a defensive pose, raising her hands to block herself.  
 

Monokuma nods more enthusiastically. “That’s _right_!”  
 

Korekiyo speaks up next after clearing his throat. “If I may be so bold as to ask,” He folds his hands behind his back. “How did we all arrive here? None of us seem to recall coming to this... _Ultimate Academy._ ”  
 

“Oh you know, a few things happened here and there,” Monokuma explains vaguely, waving a paw. “And now all of you are here to play a great game together!”  
 

Himiko scowls, puckering her lips boredly. “That didn’t explain… anything, really…” She sighs, scratching the side of her head.  
 

“Oh, just be quiet, will ya?!” Monokuma interrupts with a shout, glowering at the 16 students before him. “I come all this way to explain the game and you just complain and complain! Kids these days are _so_ ungrateful!”  
 

“You're the one explaining shit like crap!” Miu points at the bear haughtily, placing her hands on her hips. “It’s like when you throw a fuckin’ character in at the last minute to give exposition but the main characters are only more confused!”  
 

Kokichi groans, finally speaking up, stepping forward. “Monokuma mentioned a game, though.” He eyes the bear suspiciously. “What… _game_? Is it fun?” He asks, smirk tugging at his lips  
 

It quickly disappears once Monokuma looks straight at him with his glowing red eye and unsettlingly wide smile.  
 

He lets out a little laugh to ward off the worry beating at the back of his brain. “C'mon, you can't just say something like that and leave me hanging! What game, huh?” He says, forcing as much excitement into his voice as he can.  
 

Monokuma laughs that same weird, creepy snicker he heard from the monitor. “Glad you asked!” He sings. “You wanna know? You ready?”  
 

The students all quiet down and listen close.  
 

“I want you students, with your **Ultimate** -level talents, to participate in a _killing game_ !” He hops to his feet and stands on the podium, red eye glowing ominously as the aura around him dropped everyone’s gut into a pit of _despair.  
_  

There's a beat of silence, and Kokichi can practically feel his heart drop to his feet as ice runs through his veins.  
 

“... What?” Kaede finally breaks the pause.  
 

Tsumugi nervously speaks up. “Wait a second, what did you say?” She asks anxiously, twiddling her thumbs as she glances around at the others..  
 

Kiibo says with a shaking voice; “If... If I heard him correctly—”  
  
  
“Yeesh, you got gunk in your ears or something?” Monokuma taunts, cutting the inventor off. “I said it’s a _killing game_!”  
 

“We fuckin’ heard you the first time!” Miu shouts, although her words didn’t match her meek demeanor one bit.  
 

“Hurry up and explain yourself properly,” Maki demands.  
 

“Upupu... _Upupupu_ ...!” Monokuma snickers madly to himself. “It’s _veeery_ simple! I'm sure you guys all have had a good look around the school—There’s no exit in sight! The only way out is to play the killing game, and you gotta _kill_ a classmate, or two, to escape!”  
 

Tenko appears thoroughly ruffled at this shocking information, glancing worriedly at Himiko in the meantime. “Y-You can’t be _serious!_ Tenko can’t spend time with criminal _men_ …” She spat.  
 

“N-No!” Gonta stutters. “Gonta is no criminal, it is ungentlemanly to kill!” He appears almost heartbroken at the insinuation, large hands anxiously gripping at his tie.  
 

Ryoma sighs, eyes slowly closing. “Do you plan on... giving us weapons or something?” He asks, not even wincing at the number of gasps erupting through the room at that question.  
 

“H-Hoshi-kun?” Kaede covers her mouth with her hand.  
 

“Nyeh… are you already planning something..? I won’t allow that...” Himiko mutters, points accusingly at the aikido master.  
 

“No, Hoshi’s right,” Kaito begrudgingly admits, almost like he's holding back a tidal wave of emotion. “We need to get more information about this… _killing game_.” He raises his hands to create quotation marks.  
 

“Sheesh! What kinda bloodbath are _you_ freaks imagining?” Monokuma tilts his head. “Here at the Ultimate Academy, the killing game is quite the sophisticated event!” He exclaims.  
 

“ _Sophisticated_?” Maki repeats, nose wrinkling with doubt.  
 

“Every murder here is punctuated by a class trial,” Monokuma explains. “At the class trial you’ll work to find out whodunnit, and vote for the culprit! If you vote for the right person, then that person alone will be punished—but if you pick the _wrong_ person, then I'll punish everyone else, and that person will get to graduate from the _Ultimate Academy_!”  
 

“So not only would we have to commit murder, we’d have to get away with it too.” Rantaro summarizes.  
 

“One can likely imagine, but what is this ‘punishment’ you're referring to?” Korekiyo asks.  
 

“Upupupu!” Monokuma laughs. “Why— an **execution** , of course!”  
 

“ _Execution_?!” Kaede echoes in horror, appearing more and more furious by the minute.  
 

“That’s insane!” Kiibo shouts defiantly. “Nobody would ever participate in a killing game!”  
 

_No_ , Kokichi disagrees in his mind. _Anyone could be driven to murder with the right motive_.  
 

And as if reading his mind, Kaito asserts his own thoughts. “As much as I like to believe in everyone… we can’t be too careless, right!? Anyone could kill...”  
 

“It’s true! You see it all the time in history —” Angie says. “People who “ _would never_ ”, until they were given the right motive!”  
 

The students shift uneasily once Angie finishes speaking, some eyeing the others suspiciously.  
 

Monokuma snickers. “Happy killing!” He cheers, then disappears from the stage.  
 

The room is silent, until a beep rings from Kokichi’s tablet—no, not just his, it rings from everyone's throughout the gym.  
 

He slips it from his pocket and turns it on, seeing that the ‘school regulations’ button had lit up. Clicking on it, he watches as it goes through the rules of the killing game in detail, with a few more rules Monokuma didn't mention.  
 

“Come...” Kaede stutters, breaking the silence, and then clears her throat. “Come on, guys! We can't let what that bear said get to us! We can all escape as long as we work together!”  
 

Maki raises an eyebrow. “How do you propose we do that?” She asks.  
 

“We can... Let's all split up and search the school, more thoroughly this time!” Kaede suggests.  
 

“You want us to split up?” Kokichi tilts his head. “Go investigate all alone?” He asks, then gasps. “Akamatsu-chan, _no_!” He exclaims overdramatically.  
 

Kaede pauses, then her eyes go wide. “No! No, no, I didn't mean— I wasn't...”  
 

Kaito whacks the back of his head. “Don't mess around, Ouma.” He scolds. “We can split up in four groups of three and one group of four.” He says.  
 

“Why not groups of two?” Kirumi asks. “Even if something were to happen, we’d know it was the other then.”  
 

“If we’re all separated searching the school, then the rest of us wouldn't have a way to know if every pair actually stuck together.” Kaito explains. “In the end that might be an easy way to cause a huge mix up and frame someone.”  
 

“Wooow,” Kokichi grins. “Momota-chan is more thoughtful than he looks!”  
 

Kaito rolls his eyes. “Anyways,” he glances over the group. “Gonta, Shirogane, and Saihara are group one, you should search outside, the outer, forest-y areas surrounding the school,”  
 

“Huh? Um,” Shuichi startles, looking from Kaito to Kaede, then back to Kaito, giving a hesitant nod. “Sure.”  
 

“That's fine with me,” Tsumugi nods.  
 

“Gonta will do his best!”  
 

Kaito nods. “Then group two will be Akamatsu, Angie, and Shinguji. You three should search the school building, keep an eye out for any trap doors or other hidden rooms and stuff.”  
 

“Angie can do that!” The anthropologist beams, clasping her hands together.  
 

“I've used lots of trap doors and stuff in my shows before,” Kaede nods. “I'll know what to look for.”  
 

Korekiyo agrees as well. “I will do my utmost best to fulfill this request. I won't overlook even the smallest detail.”  
 

“Good,” Kaito nods. “Next, Harukawa, Chabashira, and Yumeno, I want you guys to search the dorms. Examine each room, but don't take anything.”  
 

Himiko purses her lips, then sighs. “I guess that's better than searching the _whole_ school,”  
 

“Tenko... Tenko will do her best!” Tenko awkwardly declares, looking out of her element, but determined.  
 

“I'll also give it my all...” Maki says, idly playing with her bow.  
 

“Great, then Amami, Hoshi, and Iruma, I want you guys to search the courtyard.” Kaito assigns next.  
 

“Can do,” Ryoma nods.  
 

“Sure thing,” Rantaro agrees with a casual smile.  
 

Miu scoffs. “I guess I can lend a hand.” She says, then points to her partners. “You boys better be grateful!”  
 

“Lastly,” Kaito cuts her off before she gets too worked up. “will be Ouma, Idabashi, Kirumi, and I. We’ll do a sweep of the whole school.”  
 

“I have no qualms with that.” Kirumi agrees.  
 

“Agreed,” nods Kiibo.  
 

Kaito looks to Kokichi expectantly.  
 

Kokichi pauses, thinking it over. Deciding it safe enough, he rolls his eyes and says; “I _guess_ I can work with you if you really want me, Momota-chan! You just can't get enough of me, can you?” He teases.  
 

Kaito snorts. “Yeah, okay.” He rolls his eyes. “Alright, this good with everybody?” He asks the group, who all chorus with their agreement. “Alright, great! Let's move out then, yeah?”  
 

And thus, everyone makes their way out of the gym and splits up.  
 

“Hey, Ouma,” Kaito jogs up beside the detective as their group walks through the halls. “Bounce thoughts with me— think we’ll find anything?”  
 

Kokichi stares at him blankly for a second, evaluating how trustworthy he is, weighing his words carefully. “Hmmmm, who knows?” He hums. “Monokuma seemed _super_ confident we wouldn't escape!”  
 

Kaito nods. “Yeah. I can't say I think we'll find much. Not a way out, at least.”  
 

“What _do_ you think we'll find, Momota-chan?”  
 

Kaito pushes his fists together, staring down at the floor as he thinks carefully. “Maybe some stuff to fuck with us. Maybe new areas we haven't seen yet. This school building, for one, is bigger than what we've seen available, so there's gotta be more to it.”  
 

Kokichi throws his hands behind his head casually. “Oh? Wow, I didn't realize Momota-chan was so observant!” He says in a teasing tone.  
 

Kaito’s brows furrow for a moment, then he opens his mouth and shuts it. His brows go up. “Oh. You're agreeing with me.”  
 

Kokichi pauses and blinks at him, surprised, before snorting in amusement. “Geez, maybe you're slower than I thought.”  
 

Kaito rolls his eyes. “Anyway, let's get a move on, Yeah?” He says, and pats Kokichi on the shoulder, before he jogs to catch up with Kirumi and Kiibo chatting just ahead of them.  
 

“Yep,” Kokichi says, popping the ‘P’. “Let's get a move on, or else I’ll get bored."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get out (cries) I was got with writer’s block so hard it sent me to the hospital. Literally HDJDBDKJWKEKD
> 
> Anyways I'm Back, so here's the new chapter!!!
> 
> Also I'm thinking of renaming this story—I don't think “grey area” flows very well, and I always just call it V3V2 instead anyways. Any suggestions? Or do you think “Danganronpa V3V2” is good? I feel like it should be more unique than that... I’ll think on it.
> 
> Also I think ao3 should add a like feature to the comments, so I can let people know I read AND appreciated their comment because I keep saying I’ll reply to them but then I never do..... Sdjfasdbhwjadw SORRY... anywhosies. A few people have asked me if it's okay to draw fanart for my fic which is !!! WOW!! CRAZY!! (The answer is yes absolutely forever and always. I’ll cry)
> 
> Thank you guys so much <3


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